UK

The Royal Philharmonic Society has a distinguished history of commissions, stretching back to 1825 with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and including Mendelssohn’s Trumpet Overture in 1833.

Friday May 17th 2013 saw another BBC wind ensemble world premiere, conducted by the American James Gaffigan. Commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society this was a companion piece to the same composer’s old racket for strings, premiered a little earlier in the season. Four groups of instruments are placed spatially, two wind quartets placed left and right, with a brass quintet behind, and in the foreground a flute and piccolo, who with the tuba often play soloistically. Lloyd admits to a love and admiration for the Stravinsky Symphonies of Wind, but this is a very different piece, witty, ironic, with jocular references to sitcom music such as Hancock’s Half Hour, providing a little motive that pervades the work. Slapstick comedy mingles with wisps of folktunes; quirky and amusing, the work is a little over 18 minutes, and includes a spoof ending which gets the audience to applaud too early –to their subsequent embarrassment.